Jet aborts Philly takeoff when nose gear fails

A US Airways jet headed to Fort Lauderdale aborted its takeoff in Philadelphia after the nose gear failed Thursday evening, airport and airline officials said.

All 149 passengers and five crewmembers aboard Flight 1702 were evacuated safely from the Airbus A320 and no injuries were reported. One photo posted on Twitter showed passengers being evacuated on the plane's emergency slides.

"All customers and crew have safely evacuated," said US Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher. "Emergency crews are on scene. Passengers are in the process of being transported to the terminal."

The nose gear collapsed on the runway about 6:30 p.m., Philadelphia International Airportsaid. The flight had been scheduled to leave at 6:05 p.m.

"We believe the tire blew, causing the nose gear to collapse, while it was moving down the runway," spokeswoman Victoria Lupica said.

A ground stop to control plane traffic is in effect, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

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